There is a considerable population suffering from aspiration pneumonia. Aspiration Pneumonia is a disease occurring as a consequence of entry of particles or substances into pulmonary system. If the patient is not able to cough out the aspirated material, then lung infection will occur.
Both food and air pass through Pharynx. Pharynx is a member of both the digestive system which includes esophagus and stomach, and the respiratory system which includes larynx, trachea and bronchi. Located at the posterior end of nasal airway and mouth, it splits into superior of larynx (respiratory system) and esophagus (digestive system).
Food through the process of swallowing passes from mouth to pharynx and into esophagus. Therefore, swallowing is the process of passing material from mouth into esophagus through pharynx while shutting the entrance to larynx. If a person does not swallow correctly, then food or liquid goes down the trachea (air tunnel) instead of the esophagus (food tunnel) that could result in choking or create pulmonary aspiration. Thus aspiration pneumonia develops as a result of the entrance of the foreign material into the bronchi. Larynx protects the trachea against the food aspiration by blocking the opening to pharynx. There are many factors that cause the process of swallowing fail. Muscles involved in the swallowing process are weakened by age, stroke, Alzheimer, or other diseases that lead to an incomplete swallowing mechanism, and as a result, possible pulmonary aspiration of foods or other particles. Most common solution to reduce the risk factors to pulmonary aspiration of food is to swallow safely. Incorrect physical form of the patient while eating plays a key role in inhaling the food. Medical experts instruct sitting up while eating, eating slowly, taking small bites, and most importantly swallowing with chin down. The chin-down position is the key to close the pharynx opening. This invention is intended to aid patients to obtain the “chin-down” position while swallowing which is the most helpful condition for prevention of food inhale. A sketch of head and neck illustrating the pharynx and larynx, and their connections relative to the esophagus and trachea is obtained from public domain and provided in Drawing 1 for better conception.
The head rest introduced here fills the back of the neck, and forces the chin to a lower position. After swallowing, if desired, the patient can rest his head on the head cushion to gain energy and also to slow down the eating process. When ready for a bite again, by removing his head from the cushion, the head pad resumes its tilt down position and pushes his chin down to allow the closure of the larynx and the entrance of the food through the proper channel in to esophagus.
If a caring assistance feeding the patient, then the head pad can be manually adjusted and controlled. In the standard setting, the head pad would hold the head strait and slightly in a forward position to support the chin down condition. When the patient rests his head on the cushion, the head pad would tilt back to give a comfort position for the patient's head. As soon as the patient removes his head from the cushion, the head pad will resume its original tilt forward condition to support the chin-down position.
This head rest can be attached to wheel chairs, beds with the bed board support, and any chair's configuration that can support the clamp's locking, and measures up to 39″ wide.